Hoisting mechanism for charging hoppers



May 28, 1929. A. s. .JOHNSON HOISTING MECHANISM FOR CHARGING HOPPERS med Jan. 21, 1928 @nvm/Wop Patented May 2s, 1929.

UNITED STATES PATENT orrice.

ANDREW S. JOHNSON, ILAINIFIELVD,l NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TORANSOMECON- CRETE MACHINERY COMPANY, vOF PLAINFIELD, NEWJERSEY, A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

HOISTING MECHANISM, `FOR CHARGING I-IOPPERS.

, Application ined January 21, 192s.` serial No. 248,308.'

VlrIhe improvements herein relate primarily to hoppers or buckets 4adapted to be elevated, but more particularly to that type of hopper or vessel which is,4 pivoted so as to accom-A plish arcuate travel, and to the means for elevating same. vBuckets or loaders of this type are commonly employed in concrete mixers, are frequently called loading skips or hoppers, and are constructed and arranged to rest on the ground below the charging opening of the mixer' Vso as to receive the aggregates to be mixed from barrows, shovels ror in any other manner, near the ground level. that as'it is raised it also tips or tilts and discharges its load into the mixer. A cable leading from a drum on the mixer frame to the bucket is commonly employed for elevating same. The present improvements are chieiiy designed to afford a -better connection between the cable and bucket, whichy equalizes the pull of the former, as well as to facilitate repair or replacement of the cable and to provide guide means for same.

The present invention is in the nature of a modification of the improvements disclosed in the co-pendingl application of John P. Faber, SerialNo. 223,870, filed October 4, 1927. present improvements will be apparent to those skilledin the art by Vreference to the accompanying description vand the drawings in which-y l A Fig. l is a side elevation of a loading bucket and connected parts broken away, emhodying the improvements;

Fig. 2 is a front view of the loader bucket showing the improvements; and

Fig. 3 is an enlarged detail ofione of the cable saddles or guides. y

Fig. 4 is .an enlarged side View ofone of the. cable guides;

Fig. 5 is a plan view of themember illustrated in Fig. 4.

The skip .or loader bucket 1 is adapted to be raised or lowered by means vof a cable 2 running over drums it, 4, and connected with a suitable power device'. The drums 3V and 4 are mounted on uprights 5 andv 6 ycomprising part of frame 6 of the apparatus. The bucket l is suitably pivoted adjacent its discharge end 7, to the frame The bucket is usually so mounted' Other objects and advantages of the vand is arranged to tip as it is elevated and ultimately discharge its contents intofa mixing drum. These details of construction are well known in the art and are therefore omitted in the drawingsl to avoid confusion in illustration.

On each side of the bucket, at the forward end thereof and preferably although not necessarily adjacent itshorizontalv bottom, are rigidly welded', rivetedor otherwise secured, a pair of castings forming cable' guides or saddles` 10 and 101. These guides are preferablymounted to that portionV of the bucket as shown in Fig. 1, but it is understood that they may be lsecured in any other convenient position along the outer limits of the bucket, depending upon the load it is called upon" to withstand and the speed of its elevation. -In place of one such saddle on each side of the bucket or vskip, a plurality Vof similar saddles may be mounted on each side along the forward up-l standing portion (see Fig. 1)andthehorizontal base portion of the bucket.

These saddlesl or guides are identical lin configuration, except that saddle 10 presents yan angle to-.the right while saddle l0 describes an angle` to the left. But one of these elements has been illustrated lin enlarged detail in Figs. 3 to 5. Referring to Figure 3, the guide or saddle l0 is shown as L-shaped',

the shorter or horizontal leg being disposed Y Y along a horizontal portion of theskip, while the longer or vertical leg contacts a vertical portion thereof. l/Vhen xed in this position on vthe skip, it is seen that 'the saddles embrace angles formedby the'bucket sides,

affording reinforcement therefor.

Each yelement l0, 10 is provided with` ears 11, 1l extending Vthe entire length of the L, and located in spaced relation to one another, eachl in a plane normal to the surface of the element contacting the skip. These projecting portions or ears Vare pref-l erably provided, one onv each side of the axial plane of the saddle, and are preferably cast thereon or may be otherwise secured .so long as sufficient clearance is provided beremovable bolt or cotter pin 13. From this portion 12, to the end of the longer leg of the L, the ears gradually increase in width (see Figs. Q and 3), being broadest at part 14. Referring toFig. 1, it is seen that the ears flare or diverge near the top of the L, the parts 1%1 therefore providing the deepestv and widest section of the saddle or guide.

The preferred form of the ears 11, 11 is more clearly seen by reference to Figs. 4 and 5 wherein lips 15 and 16 vare provided on each ear. As illustrated', these lips eX- tend laterally from each ear, at right angles thereto and are directed toward one another. They terminate a slight distance from from the ears`11,11, or they may be extended, as desired lalongfthe horizontal leg of the VL-shaped ears, the construction being immaterial so 'long as the clearance or slit 17 is maintained throughout. The vplan view of the saddle shown in Fig. 5, illustrates the flared or diverging arrangement ofthe ears 11,11 along the horizontal leg of the saddle.

The apertures in portions 12 are so provided that when theV cable is in place (see Fig. 3') and the cotter pins 13 are threaded therein., the latter willl be spacedV fromV thel cable, allowing freedom ofv movement for same in the saddle. It is apparent that the pins 13 bridge ears 11, 1 1" outside the cable 2thus preventing the latter from completely leaving the sad't le when. in use, or when slack in the cable' occurs. l' l-nuse, the 'guides or saddles 10, 10" being fixed to the bucket, the cable 2 may be looped over the end' thereof and placed in the guideways or channels formed by the ears 11,` 11" of the saddles after-- passing through slits 17. Pins` 13 are then threaded through the portions 12' thereby locking the cable within the saddle on` each side of the bucket. lVhen the cable is drawn taut,it will assume the position illustrated in the drawings, that is, it will be disposed along thev sides and lower` front ofiv the rbucket and at the same time hug the Ls 101,. 10. Since the pins 13 are spaced .fromv the' cable 2 the latterhasfreedom of movement through the saddles and about the bucket, sol that during raising or lowering of the" bucket, should the load be unevenly distributed therein, orl the win-ding drums failt to function, properly equalization of the pull of the cable will" result. This equalizing feature obviously eliminates undesirable twisting 0r torque of the bucket and enables the bucket at all times to automatically adjust itself and the load to'swing in the yarc'of least resistance.

' It is apparent that the provision and location of the saddles protects thev cable against undue wear vand injury or the deteriorating effect of exposure to the ground. Furthermore, aside from re-inforcing the bucket, the saddles or guides protect same from wear and friction of the cable. During the'arcuate travel ofthe bucket, thecable is given freedom of lateral movement in the channelsfforme'd' by the diverging portions ofthe ears on the saddles. In operation the depth of the'ears, the provision of lips 15, 16., and the pins 13 prevent the cable Jfrom losing its position in the saddles and consequently its hold on thebucket.

An important feature ofthe present improvements resides in the fact that the cable 2 may be readily disconnected from the skip or bucket by merely withdrawing cotter pins 13 from the castings. When desired, the cable mayv be slacked, theV pins removed and the cable slipped through slits 17 andlooped over the bucketv and1 without the aid of any parti-cular tool, or disrupting the balance of the apparatus. This ability to disconnect the cable with a minimum of time and trouble is a distinct` advantage in shipping, assembling or when replacing a worn cable, skip or win'dinggdrum. Other advantages of the present 'improvements' will bey ap.- parent to those skilled inV the art.

I claim? 1. ln aj device of the characterl described, an endless hoisting cable, a loader bucket, mechanism forjwindingL said cable located adjacent said bucket, a cable guide havingA a plurality ofprojectingears mounted on each side ofv said bucket and adjacent the base thereof, said ears terminating in inwardly extending members, saidv cable vextending over said guides and about said. bucket, and being free to move to a limitedeXtentv there through, and removable pins bridging the ears of each guide exteriorly of said cable, whereby said cable may be maintained on said" guides, or removed therefrom without injury to or severing of the cable.r

j 2. In a device of ther character described, a hoist bucket,'a cableguide mounted on said bucket comprising a channel shaped member adapted to freely receive and surrender aV cable said member having inwardly extendingv lips and a curved wall portion, and a removable pin spaced fromthe base of said channel member and bridging aportionof the openy face thereof.

3. In a device of the character described, a cable guide comprising a base adapted te be secured toa support, a channelshaped member protrudingi from saidbase., said member defined by oppositel-y disposedV L- shaped ears7 whereby to form a housing With said base.

4. In a device of the character described, a cable guide comprising a base adapted t0 5 be secured to a support, a channel shaped member protruding from said base, said member dened by oppositely disposed L- said base, and removable means bridging said ears to provide a closure for said housing. f

Witness my hand this 19th day of January, 1928. f l

ANDREV S. JOHNSON. 

